The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-06-03
The De Laos Country

/. The town OF Minot, out in Dakota, at
the second crossing of the Mouse River,
and for The present the terminus of the st.
Paul. Minneapolis " Manitoba Railroad.
is the latest Northwestern aspirant to
greatness. 1t certainly has an excellent
situation and If fine country will make
q good town, its future prosperity is assur-
ed-for the upper Mouse and De Laos
River country is as attractive region TO
the settler as any in the country. The
De Laos River joins the Mouse eight miles
above Minot, having its source in a lake
thirty miles long, the head of which is one
and one.half miles south OF the boundary.
The Coteaux come sheer up 10 the lake on
the south side, and are heavily timhered
In places. On the north side Is fine
country. well adapted for settlement, now
occupied only by few settlers from over
the line in Canada. Then come two
smaller lakes, and below. these for fifty
miles is fine. Itch plain, twenty or thirty
miles wide, through the center of which
the river runs. Coal is found all over the
country. II crops out in every hillside on
The river. This country is the favorite
range for white and black.tailcd deer and
antelope. and many hunters had great
sport hunting them this fall; TWO bagging
twenty-five black tailed deer in ten days
Throughout ISIS course the river is heavily
timbered, and its lateral feeders are also
well supplied. Except wQere an occa
sional rancher has set bis stakes, the whole
country Is public land, aud it surely offers
some fine opportunities for the homeless
in the States to provide themselves with
fine farms, only at the expense of coming
and settling on them. The finest oppor-
tuniiies now offer themselves to secure the
best locations. Only last week claim
was taken adjoining the town of Minot,
and public land is plainly in view across
the river, only one mile away The land
in the Mouse River valley, along the tim
Der, has to some extent been taken by set
tiers who came in from Bismarck three
years ago. g.
Attention is chiefly directed to stock
raising, each rancher having from twenty
five to one hundred head of cattle, though
many fields are in cultivation and produce
well. The soil in the valley is rich, but
that on the surrounding prairie level is of
the finer quality. The ''old residents
claim that the climate of the valley is
milder than any part of the territory, and
their claim would seem TO be substantiated
by the many varieties of wild fruits grow.
ing in the forest, and, the fact, that wild
grapevines are growing on nearly every
tree. Ranchmen claim that on account of
this exceptional mildness they can winter
grown cattle with an outlay of but one ton
of hay per head.
The chinook" winds, during winter,
blow from the southwest down the Vel
lowstone valley, pass over the low "dl.
vide" at Fort Butord and reaching the
De Laos valley change their direction to
the southeast, reaching the Mouse River
valley as a warm northeast wind. They
sometimes last for week at time cut
the snow off 10 few hours, and often
raise the water in the rivers two feet. Not
the least of the resources of the country
lie in the coal mines, which make outcrops
in nearly every hill and ravine. A mine
under process of development, six miles
from Minot, shows up vein seven feet in
thickness and of the best quality of Ignite,
burning easily and rapidly and used for
all heating purposes The coal sells. for
Sl.25 per ton at the mine. and isin com.
mon use in Minot and throughout the sur
rounding country st. Paul Pioneer
Press FttM